Clock-controlled switch



March 2, 1948. T, SVOBQDA 2,435,9@6

CLOCK-CONTROLLED SWITCH Flled April 25, 1945 QM-f2@ Patented Mar. 2, 1948 UNITED sTATEsrATENT OFFICE CLOCK-CONTROLLED SWITCH Theodore Svoboda, Fairbury, Nebr.

i Application April 25, 1945, Serial No. 590,209 1 Claim. (Cl. 200-35) This invention relates to an automatically operated switch and has for its object to eiect control of electrically actuated mechanism at a predetermined time. Among its features, my invention embodies a switch arm adapted to be supported on the alarm winding key of an alarm clock in such a manner that when the arm is pivoted at one point, it may be used to turn on an electric current for controlling a furnace thermostat, radio, or other kinds of electrical equipment, and when the arm is pivoted at a different point, the device may be used to discontinue the flow of current to electrical devices of various natures.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of my improved electrical switch showing the switch arm pivoted to turn on the electrical flow through the switch when the winding key of an alarm clock starts to rotate,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device illustrated'in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is an end view showing portions lbroken away to more clearly illustrate the details of construction.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a shelf, table top or like supporting structure I9 is shown as supporting near one end an alarm clock II having an alarm winding key I2 and near its opposite end a switch designated generally at I3, the switch arm of which is shown as resting on the alarm winding key I2.

The switch I3 above referred to comprises a housing I4, preferably formed of a suitably nonconducting material, such as hard rubber, Bakelite, or the like. Supported at opposite ends of the housing I4 and projecting through said housing into the interior thereof are contact members I5 and I6, each of which is provided with a pair of upstanding arms I'I which are pierced, as at I8, to receive a pivot bolt I9, the purpose of which will more fully hereinafter appear. The contact members I5 and I6 extend into the interior of the housing I4 and have connected thereto, respectively, the terminal of a power supply source I9' and the terminal 20 of a wire which leads to the equipment to be controlled.

Pivotally mounted on the pivot bolt I9 is a switch arm 2| having formed intermediate its ends an opening 22 to which a retractile coil spring 23 is connected. The opposite end of the spring 23 is connected to a suitable eye 24 fixed to the base I0 so that the spring will normally urge the arm 2I into contact with the contact member I6 to establish the now of current there- 2 through. Formed in the arm 2l and adapted when the arm is in engagement with the contact I6 to align with the opening I8 therein is an opening 25 which may be used to receive the pivot pin I9 when the device is to be used to discontinue the ow of current to a piece of electrical equipment when the alarm winding key I2 is set in motion.

In operation, assuming that the pivot pin I9 is in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, that is, extending through the openings in the contact member I5 and the arm 2l, it will be seen that when the arm is supported on the winding key I2 of the alarm clock II, it will be held out of contact with the contact member I6, though urged into contact therewith under the lnuence of spring 23. As soon as the winding key I2 starts to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, it is obvious that the arm 2I will fall into the dotted line position shown in Figure 1 so as to establish contact between the contact members I5 and I6 so as to permit the flow of current from the supply Wire I9 through the contact member I5, arm 2| and contact member IB out through the terminal 20 of the wires leading to the piece of equipment to be operated. Should it be desired to use the switch to disconnect the flow of current through a piece of equipment, the pin I9 is removed from the apertures in the contact I5 and is transferred so as to project through the apertures I8 of the contact IB and through the opening 25 in the arm 2I. In this position, under the influence of the spring 23, the arm 2| will tend to swing about the pivot pin I9 so as to lift its opposite end out of contact with the contact I5 so that when the alarm winding key I2 starts to rotate, the flow of current from feed wire I9 to' wire 20 will be interrupted, thus discontinuing the service of power to the equipment connected with the device.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described the invention. what I claim is:

In a device of the class described, a non-conducting casing, a contact supported adjacent one end of said casing, a contact supported adjacent the opposite end of said casing, each such contacts having a pair of apertured upstanding ears, a switch arm having apertures adapted to align with the apertures in the ears of the contacts, a

3 4 spring for urging the switch arm to move in one REFERENCES CITED direction' and a' pvot pin adapted to be extended The following references are of record in the through either of one pair of ears or the other 1 f h pair of ears and the respective openings in the e o t is patent' switch arm whereby the switch may be used not 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS only to establish the iow of current to a piece of Number Name Date equipment, but may also be used to discontinue 373,037 ploudre Feb 4, 1908 the ow of current to a piece of equipment when moved intheesame direction. FOREIGN' PAZ'IENES" v A Y o Number- (ount'ry` Bate THEODORE SVOBODA. 23,858 Denmark July 16, 1917 

